By Megan G.
I would like to share a painting / story from my friend Iain Campbell who is an artist.(https://www.idcampbell.com/gallery/gospel-sketchbook/). The blog contains a few really powerful painting, but I particularly like his annunciation painting and accompanying video which are both wonderful. It’s mostly focused on on the Angel speaking to Mary.
The Annunciation
2017, Oil on Canvas, 30” x 40”
“Chapter 1 of Luke sees the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary, a young bride-to-be, that she’s going to have God’s baby. To portray Gabriel, Iain opted for a bronze statue of an angel in the Glasgow’s Necropolis. The model for Mary is Fereshteh, an asylum seeker from Iran, who was part of a Bible study group run by Glasgow City Mission called “New Glaswegians” for folks they work with who have English as an additional language.
Mary and Gabriel represent both the new and the old Glasgow. Traditionally, in paintings of the Annunciation, Gabriel presents Mary with lilies, which used to be a symbol of purity. In our culture, they are more often a funeral flower, which coincides with the setting of the Necropolis. In the background of the image are Celtic crosses: this painting, which is initially about announcing the birth of Jesus, also foreshadows his death.”
Revive Leeds 
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